


sweet chaos

by saboten



Category: One Piece
Genre: Banter, F/M, Fluff, enemies to mutual pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 08:09:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21296273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saboten/pseuds/saboten
Summary: While the sea wasn’t infinite, it was vast - so what were the chances for running into each other? It was neither fate nor coincidence though, not when the driving force behind their crossing paths was Smoker’s relentless chase after Strawhat. The irony of this encounter wasn’t lost on her.All Tashigi wanted was a break.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Tashigi
Comments: 8
Kudos: 90





	sweet chaos

In hindsight, this was not how Tashigi expected her day would go.

It started out alright, nothing out of the ordinary. Their current course took the G-5 to an island she’s never visited before, stopping for a much-needed resupply at the local marine base. Their provisions took a huge blow by the damages during the fights (and the subsequent party) on Punk Hazard, plus the children made for additional eaters.

With the warship anchored and loaded up, she had nothing of importance do to that required her presence. Tashigi seized this chance. She went to Smoker’s cabin, where she found him working at his desk engrossed in the never-ending, tedious battle against paperwork.

“Sir.”

He looked up from the files in front of him and his frown softened marginally. Her interruption was welcome. “Speak.”

“I’m requesting shore leave for the remaining time of resupply.”

He let her words sit between them and took a drag from his cigars. “What for?”

“I,” Tashigi started, sticking to the safety of the clinical draft she had prepared, “need to run errands for…_necessities_. I can’t get these on the base.”

“Why?”

She shot him a pointed look while avoiding direct eye-contact, fervently studying the woodwork on the wall, and she prayed he’d get the allusion to recent events. In which he’s been involved. She didn’t want to suffer disclosing further detail.

Smoker kept a carefully neutral expression when he said, “Two hours. Tell the men too, whoever’s willing to go.” Void of resistance he added, “I’ll keep an eye on the children.”

*

Shore leave never has been high on her priorities list. In Logue Town the opportunities to travel for long times were rare. Since the island was a pirate landmark hot spot, there was no need to follow trouble because trouble came to them. Alabasta was one hot chase after another and a tight race against the clock, with hard lessons learned after the dust long has settled. The transfer to the Grand Line and joining the G-5 division changed her views, as the amount of hours she completely had to herself has shrunk to few and far between. Alone-time on a ship this size was scarce, and the rowdy company of her subordinates didn’t really helped matters.

So Tashigi set out on the unfamiliar island and enjoyed the calm, _civilized_ company of the locals while browsing through the shops and streets. At the town square a market was held, and she found a stand with sweets and decided to surprise the children with candy on her return. And _then_ she recognized the voices of some of her soldiers a few stalls over and without a second thought she swiftly made an escape into the next best alley. Covering her face with one hand and glancing over her shoulder to where she’s last seen her men, she moved towards the saving opening until she hit a wall. A soft wall.

As she righted her glasses and was about to apologize, the wall uttered a jaded, “Oh _hell_ no”.

_Oh._

Tashigi knew that voice, and she knew that face that came into her view, and she most definitely recognized the look of annoyance on that face.

Roronoa Zoro.

But before her apology for running into him could make its delayed entrance or she had a chance to wonder about his presence, she suddenly was jerked into the alley until her back pressed into a brick wall. Zoro trapped her between his arms, one hand covering her mouth while his body prevented any attempts at an escape. He didn’t pay attention to her though, his mind focused on their surroundings.

Tashigi couldn’t even reach for Shigure, as the lack of the familiar weight on her hip reminded her that she left it on the ship. Going civilian for the day turned out a mistake. Looking for a way out, she boldly grasped for his swords instead and started to squirm while her brain was trying to make sense of the situation. That caught his attention. Zoro gave her a sharp glare as he swatted her hand away and beckoned her to keep quiet. After a few more seconds he eased up the pressure on his hand over her mouth. “I’ll let go if you promise you won’t scream.”

She took the time to read him, scan his face for a give-away on his intention. Annoyance was written all over him and he didn’t look happy about the situation either. Running into each other was the last thing she’d expected, and he seemed to share that notion. Tashigi swallowed her own irritation, but the hint of challenge remained in her eyes as she nodded reluctantly.

Zoro let out a heavy sigh before he released her. He stopped after a short distance, testing her on keeping her word and hovered close enough to act quickly in case she wouldn’t. Tashigi huffed at his mistrust, but when she indeed kept quiet, he let go and moved back a step.

Sullen, Tashigi smoothed down her shirt. Being at disadvantage without her sword didn’t sit right with her; and Zoro would laugh in her face if she told him _now _that he’s arrested. She straightened her back to stand taller. “What was that about?” she demanded.

The twitch in his brow betrayed that her force took him aback, anticipating a new screaming match for a moment before he caught himself. Zoro shook his head, further retreating. “Forget it. Just pretend you haven’t seen me at all.”

Unsatisfied with the answer and distraught at the chance slipping away, Tashigi impulsively followed him. She grabbed for his arm. “Wait!” No reaction. “Ro-“

“Shut up!” Instantly he turned back and his hand shot up to silence her again. This time he no longer had the benefit of surprise and he almost knocked off her glasses as Tashigi fended him off.

Their small grapple earned them the attention of a few curious passersby, so Zoro released her once again. Lowering his voice, he said with an audible strain, “Will you please keep quiet.”

“Not before you explain what’s going on.”

“Look, I don’t want any attention.” The expression on her face told him that she was not pleased with this and she wouldn’t give up until she was. He worked his jaw. “Some soldiers were in ear-shot and you were about to scream,” he said begrudgingly as if he resented her for a normal reaction to suddenly running into the pirate you chased after.

Tashigi almost bristled at his cocksure assumption that she would accept this weak reason, even let him walk away. But she reigned in her anger because that would not give her the answers she wanted. She needed to figure out what to do about this unlucky situation. Instead she asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for a bar.”

He must be testing her. Her patience was running thin and once more she clung to professionalism. _Next question. _“What does Strawhat want on this island?” Her voice sounded forced even to herself.

He shrugged. “Mea---“

Zoro didn’t get to finish his sentence. Both of Tashigi’s hands flew to his mouth before she even registered her own body moving. She stared mortified over her actions as she listened to the conversation coming from the main street, her name discussed in the familiar voices of her subordinates. “_You think Captain-chan will like this_?” She never learned the response as the voices got lost in the noises of the market.

She felt Zoro’s grin against her palms even before she returned her attention to him. She jumped back. Her ears grew warm and she was very certain that a blush crept onto her cheeks.

“Hiding from your crew, _captain_?”

“I- My-my… They’re good people,” Tashigi stuttered as her mind raced. Having to justify her want for a few peaceful moments to _him_ of all people was absolutely unfair. She fought the urge to wipe the glee from his lips. “I’m off-duty,” was her clipped saving throw, as if that explained everything.

Zoro’s memory of the men making up G-5 was petty crooks and delinquents from the Marine’s bottom of the barrel, and he couldn’t exactly hold her actions against her. Despite a certain level of sympathy he enjoyed watching her squirm in misery a few moments longer, before he returned to the more pressing matters. This already took long enough. He waved a hand, “I don’t even want to know. Here’s the deal: I keep quiet on you, you keep quiet on me.”

A sharp retort at the tip of her tongue, Tashigi paused mid-inhale as she really registered his words. The proposal had to be a trap. She narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

Zoro opened his mouth, but hesitated. With an uneasy feeling he recalled Nami’s warning that there would be consequences if he made a commotion, and he didn’t need that. She also mustn’t ever learn about this encounter because that would mean her and the others having a field-day with it, and he has had enough of her _looks_ for a lifetime after she saw him carry Tashigi in that wretched factory. But who was he to leave an injured person to their demise?  
Tashigi didn’t need to know all that. He eventually said, “I also want to keep it low-key.”

Then Zoro’s face lit up as he seemed to have a good idea. “Help me find a bar, and I’ll leave you alone.”

_Now_ he’s expecting her to help him? Slowly but surely Tashigi reached the point to feel offended by Zoro’s nerve. Unfortunately he had leverage: His appeal to their shared interest was playing dirty, and her conscience protested loudly against the temptation to…. What exactly? Turn a blind eye and get the things she needed in peace? Tashigi was shocked over the thoughts crossing her mind at all. No. This was not her. She had to find a way to arrest him despite her handicap.

Zoro tore her out of her thoughts, adding, “I saw some at the docks, but there were Marines everywhere,” more vexed over his fruitless endeavor than running into her.

_Ah._

He did not see her as a threat.

The realization hit Tashigi, his voice drowned out by the blood rushing to her ears. The worst part was that he said it with a straight face, and she didn’t know what to make of it. Tashigi swallowed, her throat dry. Of course she knew that he looked down on her, he has made that unmistakably clear, with disdain both for her dream and sword fighting ability. In the past she’s used that anger to push herself forward. But this moment right now hurt differently, picking at a scab she has thought healed. Her day couldn’t get any worse and here she was wasting her time arguing, suddenly feeling helpless.  
Cold anger swelled within her.

“And I’m not?”

Zoro turned to her and cocked an eyebrow while trying to readjust to her frequency.

Her eyes prickled with frustration and the promise of tears that she refused to let fall. Tashigi met his stare head-on. “Am I not one?”

“Huh?”

“Am I not a _Marine_?” she spat at him.

His brow was knit in confusion, until realization crawled onto his features as he at last connected the dots. “That’s no-“

Tashigi cut him off, throwing up her hands. “Fine! Do what you want. Go. Go to hell, for all I care.”  
She stormed off.

Zoro gaped dumbfounded. His mind was a blank space. Then he woke up from his stupor: “Oi, wait!” he yelled, to no avail. Tashigi ignored him. _Shit_. The recent events positively did not go the way he wanted. “Wait! Wait, wait, wait!”

*

“Stop following me.”

Zoro trailed along a few steps behind her through an alleyway. The fury in Tashigi’s voice told him enough, and he did his best to hide his wry amusement. The damage was done, but there was no need to add fuel to the fire.

In one of the weirdest turns of the universe, their roles were reversed for once. At first he felt a sudden guilt when Tashigi left him standing. Then confusion joined in, because he had no reason to care, and to top it off Zoro decided on a whim to follow her. In the hopes to find a bar. He was bored and it was just a matter of time until his captain caused his own commotion. Zoro had some time to kill. Her hurt tone had nothing to do with it.

“So you’ll rat me out the next best chance? Not happening.”

He saw her take one, two more steps and then Tashigi’s rigid shoulders dropped in resignation. She stopped. He did the same, keeping his distance. Waiting.

Tashigi turned to him. Her previous anger lost its steam, leaving her tired. Tired of wandering in the alley maze of an unknown town; with Zoro at her heels. Tired of the rehash of her humiliation. The ordinary manner of his statement was the most upsetting part of it, the contempt written all over it in plain, loud letters. It did nothing to lessen the sting. She no longer wanted to think about it. His presence didn’t help the matter, and she wondered why he even bothered.  
Then she remembered his poor sense of direction and voiced a suspicion: “You’re lost, aren’t you?”

His observant look turned into a glare. “I’m not.”

“Then why are you still following me?”

“To keep an eye on you.” Zoro ground his teeth. So what, he could have left any time he wanted. He was not lost; eventually he’d found his way back to the Sunny. Or only had to follow the loudest noises to find Luffy. He stayed because he just wanted to avoid the trouble of dealing with marines - _other_ marines - until they’d catch up to the strawhat pirates’ stop on this island. By then they’d gotten the supplies they’ve needed, he hoped. And he a drink.

She looked affronted. “That’s basically kidnapping.”

“Do you see me shackle you?” He rolled his eyes. Their argument was exhausting him. Then something caught his attention.

Tashigi’s retort was cut short when Zoro pushed her back into a gate, guiding her by her elbow and hiding them behind the wide ledge. He stood close, one arm propped on the wall and shielding her with his body. He met her puzzled stare and once more beckoned her to silence, ignoring the warmth of her breath against his throat. He quietly motioned with his chin to the intersection ahead of them. The alley connected to one of the main roads leading to the old town, back to the market, and Tashigi understood when she recognized another group of her men passing by.

Her mind raced. He _helped_ her. Tashigi had a hard time reconciling this reality with his former actions, yet she couldn’t deny it either. And this was the second time Zoro got awfully close into her personal space. This instance felt different though, more like conspiring than a confrontation. Her field of vision was dominated by the sight of Zoro’s collarbone and she truly registered the expanse of his chest, eyes following the trail of the massive scar until it disappeared in his haramaki. Suddenly she was very aware of the heat he was radiating and the intimacy of it made her head spin. She forced herself to look away, firmly shutting her eyes.

She noticed when Zoro released her by the rustle of his clothes and the sudden absence of warmth, and was confused by the ripples of disappointment over the loss.

Tashigi pulled herself together. She still was mad at him. “Don’t expect me to thank you,” she glowered as she continued walking, pushing those unwanted thoughts aside.

He sighed. “I don’t, don’t worry.”

He deserved suffering for his earlier slip-up, Zoro was big enough to own up to it. It wasn’t that he underestimated her or her ability. Nothing could make him say it out loud but their shared track record removed Smoker and Tashigi from his mental _enemy _list and placed them into, well, not exactly the _friends_ category. Maybe a firm _tolerable_. _Friendly-ish_ at best. Luffy took a liking to that guy, for whatever reason, and with Tashigi – they had a history. The transition just happened along the way.  
And now he got into this mess by letting down his guard. The worst part was that he felt bad seeing her agitated, so he tried an apology. “Listen. I didn’t mean it like that earlier.”

“And like _what_ did you mean it?”

Zoro winced at the acid in her words. Under his breath he cursed at himself for digging a deeper hole. No way in hell would he put all cards on the table. She probably would misunderstand and twist his words according to her fantasies so she could accuse him of more crimes. All he offered was a curt, “Not like that.”

“Then fight me,” she sulked.

Zoro set his jaw, but indulged her by responding at all. “With what sword?”

Tashigi stopped dead in her tracks, a spark of hope in her eyes. “Wait, if I had Shigure you’d fight me?”

“No.”

“Oh, you’re horrible!” She brushed past him, fueled by a fresh swell of anger. How stupid to get her hopes up. He always made her embarrass herself around him, and she hated the way she lost control. Tashigi knew that she acted petulant, but she found that she didn’t care. It felt good for once.

His wry smile was lost to her back. “I know.”

He matched his steps to her tempo, keeping a small distance. She needed the space to cool down, and it was safer that way anyway. He took his time to take in the surroundings, and some of the shops and buildings seemed familiar. He suspected that they were running in circles, and this town was nuisance enough already. It was unreasonable that they hadn’t run into a bar by now. When Tashigi slowed down and Zoro deemed it safe to catch up, he leveled his voice to his best neutral when asked: “So where we’re going?”

Tashigi scowled. “I’m not helping you.”

“I got it the first hundred times you said that.”

“Good.”

“Good,” he agreed.

He had a point, though. Wandering around aimlessly was not productive because they could run into new trouble, and she didn’t forget the time limit set by Smoker. A truce wouldn’t hurt anybody for the time being. Tashigi swallowed her pride. Their fight already lost her half an hour while she didn’t get any of the items on her shopping list. The only thought giving her comfort was that she still had time to figure out something about the _Zoro situation_, and reluctant as she was to admit it, the safe option was to keep him close until then.  
She resigned to her fate.

Tashigi took a look around, and to her horror they have been arguing right in front of a lingerie store. “I need b-…book. A book,” she blurted out and walked past the shop, deliberately ignoring the display. “The newest field guide.”

Initially she has set out to find such a shop aiming to replace her losses from Punk Hazard, but she wasn’t keen on doing this errand with her new tag-along. She’d rather eat her own hand than enter such a shop with _him_. Or have Zoro wait outside. Not for the first time she wondered what she has done to deserve this day.

“Think I saw a book shop over there,” Zoro pointed out helpfully.

She exhaled. “We never set foot in that street before.” She didn’t have better ideas, though, and the town was new to her too, so she went along with his idea.

Zoro trotted next to her, hands buried in his pockets and without a care in the world, and it started to vex her, how he could keep his calm while dealing with all this. The silence between them turned into something amiable, and the realization took Tashigi aback. He was her enemy. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

“This year’s edition came out with an erratum,” she started and knew she was babbling as soon as she opened her mouth. “It’s a shame that so many mistakes slipped into the guide this time,” she explained, for one to keep her brain busy. She needed to do something to fill the silence. “Otherwise they’re pretty reliable. Perhaps their editor changed.”

She didn’t yield any kind of response from Zoro aside from the occasional nod, seemingly content to let her talk and she was grateful for that. And then they ran into a miracle, because true to Zoro’s suggestion the sign of a book store popped up at a corner store.

Tashigi couldn’t hide the disbelief when she turned to Zoro, and he had the decency not to look boastful, though he still was pleased with himself.

“It’s ok to say it.”

Tashigi blushed, switching to defense. “Say what?”

He shrugged. “I was right.”

“I don’t want to rain on your parade, but we haven’t been here before. That was just luck.”

“_We_ haven’t.” Zoro crossed his arms. “I have been arou---“

The familiar sound of boots distracted Tashigi, and she knew marine soldiers were running along in a hurry before they came in sight. Panicked, she grabbed Zoro’s hand and pulled him into the next best entrance.

On the other side of the door a waiter greeted them: “A table for two?”

*

“Stop it.”

“Stop what? I’m not doing anything.”

Tashigi pouted. “I can see you thinking it.”

Zoro’s smirk grew wider. “I wasn’t the one who dragged us here.”

“Just because I saw a patrol ahead.” Tashigi stirred her cup of coffee with more force than necessary, hoping to distract herself from thinking too hard over the implications of her action. At least her muffin was looking promising.

“Cheers to that.”

Tashigi chose not to respond, busying herself with the food in front of her. This way she also avoided staring at Zoro sprawled out on his chair, or the way he bumped into her as he arranged his long legs under the table.

This day was a special brand of bad luck. While the sea wasn’t infinite, it was _vast_ \- so what were the chances for running into each other? It was neither fate nor coincidence though, not when the driving force behind their crossing paths was Smoker’s relentless chase after Strawhat. The irony of this encounter wasn’t lost on her. And now she’s sitting with Zoro of all people in a café.

Zoro didn’t take offence in her silence, allowed it to sit comfortably between them as he studied her. The air around her was different, _feminine_, her hair no longer in the boyish cut she sported when they’ve first met, and he couldn’t help the comparison as he unwittingly recalled the heart attack her similarity to Kuina has given him. It wasn’t the only change about her, but the most noticeable. Compared to before, he preferred the present. She no longer was a living reminder of his past, no longer shook at his memories.

There was still annoyance in her posture, in her stiff motions, but despite everything she seemed more at ease. _Good_. The shift in mood relieved his earlier worry and to his surprise he found that he enjoyed teasing her – when they weren’t fighting over pointless matters - even if it came with the thrill of dancing on thin ice. He wasn’t in a bar and he wasn’t drinking anything with a percentage, but he still had a good time. And it was funny because he really did not have a reason to stick with her or humor her whims except for the part where she could endanger the safety of his stay on this island, but then again there are more likely candidates to accomplish that feat in his very own crew.

“Didn’t take you for someone who drinks their coffee pitch black,” he observed.

Tashigi looked up, wary of the sudden attention. “I just like it that way,” she said, matter-of-fact, as she picked up her cup.

Her tight-lipped answers and insistence on pretending to keep up her walls were entertaining to Zoro, but he couldn’t resent her for doing her job for once. She was playing it safe.

“So what are you doing here? That’s not your base. Smoker’s around somewhere too, isn’t he?” He just hoped Luffy didn’t run into him. They’ve parted on friendly terms, but Zoro didn’t underestimate the man’s ability to make things harder.

Her brows perked up. His sudden interest left her suspicious of his intentions, because he has been so dismissive of her the whole time that _now_ he had to be up to something with his interrogation. “That’s,” Tashigi carefully picked her next words, glancing over the rim of her cup, “classified.”

Zoro nodded. “Figures. How are the kids?”

“Also classified.”

The burst of laughter was unexpected, but Tashigi didn’t dislike the sound.

“Keep your secrets then,” Zoro said amiably, leaning back in his seat. His lips settled in an amused smile. “But it’s too late for pretense. If anyone recognizes you, you’d have a lot of explaining to do.”

She shot him a look. “I know.”

He was right. She almost forgot that she was sitting with a pirate. _Hiding_ with a pirate. Probably also one of the reasons why she short-circuited. If Smoker ever found out, she would be very dead.

Tashigi decided that she was close to a headache. She had more to lose than him, even if she was off-duty. She had an obligation. Though if she was completely honest, and she’s been avoiding facing honesty too, she’s been stalling the decision. Despite all her earlier anger not once has she thought of leading him back to the marine base and have him arrested there or calling back-up. Of course there was her own pride at stake – she had to be the one catching him, defeat him.  
There were other reasons; ones that Tashigi avoided examining because the findings would only mean trouble.

But: Right now, talking to him wasn’t unpleasant, _hasn’t been_ unpleasant back in that weapon’s shop when she assumed he was just interested in swords and then he swept her off her feet with his show. Logue Town was just the beginning, and each new layer of him that she peeled off only brought more confusion, because at the end of the day she could count everything she knew about him on the fingers of one hand. She has already erred about him once, and that did end in her convictions getting turned upside down. Still, she wished to _understand_, both for her peace of mind and for his sake. It was unfair of him to drop all those accusations, expect her to swallow them without protest when he left her with the barest of hints. His _friend_ has been the subject of many sleepless nights. And during the last two years she has had way too much time to overthink everything she knew about him, as little as it was, and right now the man in person didn’t live up to her imaginations.

He was different, in a good way.

That was the horrifying truth, and the realization left her mind floating.

His previous words hadn’t left her, had not lost their sting. She thought back to his apology too, the “_not like that_”, and she also hated how it made her feel, because all he allowed for her was to second-guess and decipher his cryptic messages. It left her mind with too many possibilities to wander to.  
Sometimes she has wondered why he decided to become a pirate instead of hunting them, and the allure of the _what-if_ they’d still played on the same side of the law led her feelings astray. _What if_ they had met under different circumstances?

It was as easy and complicated as that.

She sound of china clinking tore her out of her thoughts. Zoro put down his empty cup. “Alright, I pick the next place,” he declared. “Let’s find a bar. Pay up.”

She leaned forward in protest. “Why me? Pay---”

“Bar’s on me,” he cut her off, with a hint of impatience in his voice, as if it wasn’t the most obvious thing in the world.

Tashigi stared speechless. An invitation was the last thing she expected. “Then say so in the first place,” she shot back weakly.

Zoro only shrugged and went to wait at the exit, observing the street as he waited for Tashigi to settle their bill.

She downed her remaining coffee in a hurry, buying herself a little bit of time. She hated this side too, how easily he riled her up, how easy it was to get caught up in his pace. Tashigi knew she shouldn’t want to, because this would only add to her already huge pile of transgressions, but a part of her was willing to accept.

Zoro nodded when she joined him and together they left the store. There was a growing feeling of guilt in the pit of her stomach, but against reason Tashigi decided to ignore it. She was hungry for answers, and there wouldn’t be a better chance than this. And it was odd, the pull he exerted over her. It left her feeling silly, but she wished to stay longer in this bubble of calm between the two of them. Wanted to forget the responsibilities of the outside world, of rank and sides. She already was in too deep.

“Wait. I still need some things.”

“We’re not splitting up”, Zoro insisted.

“What, still afraid?”

“Just careful.”

*

Tashigi stepped out of the book store, at last achieving one of her goals. Zoro and her made a compromise for a quick detour since the book store was close by, and then they’ve continued their quest. After careful consideration the decision to track back to the areas near the port seemed the most promising.

Tashigi quieted the nagging voices in her head. The day up to now had emotionally been like weather vane in a storm, and she was exhausted by it. Mostly she was confused. After everything the air between them shifted once more, filled with odd anticipation. She tried not to think about it.

They reached a main street, on the horizon the outline of the port and the forest of masts of anchoring ships further on.

The closer they got to the end of the alley, the louder the noises of the streets filled the space between them, but Tashigi didn’t mind. She moved closer to Zoro to accommodate for the lively street, and almost ran into him when he suddenly stopped.

Quick on his feet Zoro motioned to her to follow him to the sidelines, finding cover in the mouth of another small alley. Standing behind Zoro, without thinking Tashigi put her hand on his upper arm when she peeked out into the street.

Ahead of them was a tumult. Several marine soldiers ran by, all heading towards the port and Tashigi knew it was bad news as soon as she heard the words “_Strawhat_” and “_docks_”, and her stomach dropped. She looked at Zoro, her hand still on his arm and she could see him think the same thing.

Their encounter came to an abrupt ending, and both of them were unwilling to face it. She felt Zoro tense up, his expression shifting to grim, and she didn’t like that. He was waiting for her to make the first step, leaving the decision how to proceed in her hands. Did he wait for a fight, their status quo to revert back? Tashigi couldn’t help the pang of disappointment, not after the time spent together. She swallowed.

“Go.”

Zoro did a double-take. “What?”

He made her repeat it, and Tashigi took a deep breath before she said through gritted teeth: “I’m letting you go.”

His confusion agitated her. It had taken her a while to come to terms with it, but she was not blind to the truth. Strawhat was different from the monsters of this world. He proved it over and over. She was helped by them - the children and her operation a constant reminder of this fact - so she couldn’t apprehend Zoro with a clean conscience.  
Tashigi left that decision to Smoker.

Zoro mustered her, weighing her verdict. It seemed true. He has known that they’ve been operating on stolen time and their meeting would come to an end eventually. And while he has thought it bothersome in the beginning, a certain kind of curiosity had won him over to see where this would go when she wasn’t bound by duty (like _back then_). Luffy had the worst timing. Their wandering had finally gotten to the good parts. He sighed. “Seems like we have to postpone the drinking.” He didn’t move. “I owe you one.”

“Next time.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.”

Tashigi made no attempts at leaving either, her legs glued to the spot. Rationally, she knew what she had to do, had a whole rule book on this kind of situation memorized, but it wasn’t what she _wanted_. Her choice was selfish, _personal_, but she argued with the fact that she was off-duty. There would be consequences, there always were, but she would deal with them afterwards.

She made another decision.

She kissed him.

Tashigi took a step forward, into Zoro’s space and he just watched her, her absence of malice taking down his guard. Her hand landed on his chest for support, bare skin burning under her touch, as she leaned into him and brushed her lips over his.

She possibly was more shocked than him, suddenly overwhelmed by her own boldness. She shut her eyes firmly as she sunk back on her feet, drawing out the moments until she was crushed by his rejection. It wasn’t desperation that drove her (it was; when would be the next _next time_?). She wanted to leave him with something to think about, because: It was unfair that she was the only one living in her head while he was unbothered.

She almost missed it when he kissed her back. Zoro woke up from surprise and cupped her face in his hands, calluses gently catching on her skin the way she always imagined. He tilted his head to meet her lips, followed by a quick kiss to the corner of her mouth. He buried his hand in her hair, resting it at the back of her neck, and then she opened her mouth for him when he licked at her lips. Tashigi’s head swam. There was no excuse for melting into the firmness of his body, but she wasn’t able to gather her thoughts except for the hand she was bunching in his coat for steadiness.

They broke apart. His other arm fell to her side, holding her up in embrace and that’s when she felt steady enough to face him.

Tashigi didn’t think she had any more blood in her to increase her blush. And it wasn’t the first time today that she’s seen him from this close, with barely any distance between them. But it was the first time that she felt his heartbeat racing against her chest, and his gaze was filled with curious warmth. There was also the promise of more in his eye, dark and inviting.

She huffed a small laugh, a mix of nerves and satisfaction.

“I didn’t expect a parting gift,” Zoro quipped.

“You’re enjoying this.”

He grinned, bowing his head to the side. “Only the classified parts.”

“You’re horrible,” she chided, but she couldn’t hide the mirth in her voice either.

“I know.”

The turmoil ahead of them grew louder, seeping into the comfort between them. They shared a look of understanding, of tentative promise, and Zoro released her reluctantly. He nodded his good-bye.

She didn’t look after him, but firmly turned around to go into the opposite direction.

She had later to worry about the right or wrong. At first she had to calm her nerves, and she still could manage some of her errands.

*

On her return Smoker was in the middle of the make-shift playroom they’ve made aboard. Some of the kids jumped up to welcome her with hugs and cheers. He acknowledged her but didn’t look up from the tower of wooden blocks he was stacking up. “Did you get everything you wanted?”

Tashigi couldn’t stop the blush. ”Y-yes.”

**Author's Note:**

> Smoker probably learned about the Strawhats an few moments later and was all "What were you doing??" and Tashigi's defense was "I was in... the bookstore?".


End file.
